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It has to be visited doesn’t it. That nightmare of parental subjects. We have actually been fairly blessed with the turtle. Then again, I did feed him to sleep until he stopped breastfeeding at 14 months. I still would if he hadn’t given up on me. After that, I rocked him to sleep in my arms and transferred him into the cot when he was asleep. It took a total of ten minutes and it was lovely to have him quiet and still in my arms at the end of the day, indeed, it was nice in the middle of the day too. Like a reconnect.

Then I transferred parental responsibility for night time to the hubby.Things went well. Then illness came to visit. So for the past couple of weeks (although it seems like much, much longer) the hubby has been using the TV to “wind down” the turtle – which actually means that he has been conking out in front of the TV and the hubby has been transferring him to his cot. And this just seems wrong. So, so wrong.

I was loathe to interfere. After all we’re both the turtle’s parents. He was doing what he thought best. But it couldn’t go on. Good sleep habits are an essential life skill. Zoning out in front of the TV is something must be discouraged. It meant too that he would wake up in the middle of the night . And come into our bed. Fine in and of itself, but with his tendency to sprawl out lengthways across the bed, he was the only one sleeping.

So a new regime has been installed. I have taken over bed time again. I put the turtle in his cot, read him a couple of stories, turn out the light and sing a lullaby or seven. And he falls asleep. We’re even doing it for nap times now too. And so far, so good. He seems to be associating his cot with sleep. He woke once last night, but settled himself.

One night of uninterrupted sleep and the world seems just a faint bit rosier.

Here’s hoping it continues! Even though if there is just one thing I have learned about this parenting mallarkey, it’s that as soon as I learn the rules, the goalposts are moved.